A firefighting helicopter engaged in battling a wildfire in central Utah has crashed, killing the pilot and a crew member. The tragic accident occurred near the Richfield area of Utah. Al Jazeera Online reported the incident. The aircraft—a Sikorsky S-64 “Skycrane” operated by Helicopter Transport Services under a contract with the U.S. Forest Service—crashed near the southeastern edge of the “Widemouth 2” wildfire in the Three Creeks Reservoir area, southwest of Richfield. The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) confirmed the deaths on Saturday, stating that the two crew members sustained fatal injuries in the crash. The NIFC noted that rescue teams were unable to reach the crash site immediately due to extreme wildfire conditions and rugged, mountainous terrain.
The bodies were recovered later on Saturday, though the identities of the deceased have not been released. Despite the accident, firefighting operations against the Widemouth 2 fire near Richfield are continuing; officials report that the fire is currently 24 percent contained. Deputy Incident Commander Tyler Hecht stated on Friday that operations were temporarily suspended following the crash to assess the situation but have since resumed. He added, “This will not change our operational methods; we will continue to use aircraft to suppress the fire and support ground crews.”
Utah Governor Spencer Cox described wildfire suppression as one of the most dangerous professions in the world and urged residents to pray for the families of the deceased. The Widemouth 2 fire was ignited by lightning in the Fishlake National Forest on July 27 and has so far burned more than 111,000 acres. It is on track to become the largest wildfire in Utah this year. This is the second deadly wildfire incident in Utah this summer; earlier, in June, three firefighters were killed while battling the Coal Hollow and Goose wildfires near the Colorado border, and another later died from injuries sustained.
